Report: Calif. insurers led dog-bite claims in 2013

California had 1,919 dog-bite claims amounting to $64.7 million last year, according to a report from the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm. "The increase in the number of claims may be attributable to non-bite injuries that are being captured in the analysis, which can include scratching, tripping, knocking down or frightening a person," the report said. III's Loretta Worters said a surge in the cost per claim for dog bites can be blamed on higher medical costs and larger settlements and court-declared damages.